Smart ac controller with engery measurement capability

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods for remotely controlling infrared (“IR”) enabled appliances via a networked device are described. The technology enables one or multiple users to control, monitor, and manage their appliances (e.g., air conditioners, television sets, multimedia systems, window curtains, etc.) both locally and remotely, irrespective of the users&#39; location or their line of sight. In various embodiments, the technology includes a device with integrated Wi-Fi and IR subsystems connected via a cloud platform to a user application interface that can control appliances, generate analytics, schedule automatic operation, and perform smart learning operation. The networked device, also known as smart AC controller, or smart AC controller, reports measures and reports energy consumption the user using the onboard energy measurement unit to show the actual usage statistics and relevant costs to the user. After collecting data on user behavior and habits, the smart AC controller can operate in a smart-mode to save energy.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 62/135,180, entitled “Smart Thermostat for StandaloneAir conditioners with Energy Metering Capability,” filed on Mar. 19,2015, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 14/849,020entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR REMOTELY CONTROLLING IR-ENABLEDAPPLIANCES VIA NETWORKED DEVICE”, filed on Sep. 9, 2015, which claimspriority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/048,275, entitled“Cloud enabled Smart Device to Harness IR enabled Brand IndependentElectric Appliances,” filed Sep. 10, 2014, which is hereby incorporatedby reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to Machine to Machine (“M2M”)communication technology and the Internet of Things (“IoT”) industry.More specifically it relates to the control, monitor, and energymeasurement/management of infrared (“IR”) enabled appliances such as airconditioners or AC, television set, window curtains, stereo systems,multimedia systems, fireplaces, etc. by providing remote and/or localaccess and control to the user.

BACKGROUND

Technical innovations in the Machine to Machine (M2M) and Internet ofThings (IoT) industry have enabled users to access, control and manageelectronic devices through wireless connectivity from anywhere in theworld. The trends are fast growing to remotely control, monitor andmanage electronic devices, actuators and sensors. The increasedconnectivity options have unleashed avenues to connect, control, monitorand manage consumer electronics devices or appliances. Consumers intoday's world have multiple infrared (“IR”) enabled appliances both attheir homes and offices, such as air conditioners, television sets,multimedia systems, stereo systems, window curtains, fireplaces, etc.These appliances can normally be remotely controlled by an IR remotecontrol provided with the appliance by the manufacturer. These IR remotecontrols relay user commands to the appliances for appropriate actions.

Recently, ZigBee mesh network technology has been used to offerlocation-independent remote control to the user for some appliances.However, ZigBee-based approaches to appliance control are alsounsatisfactory. ZigBee technology inherently requires an additionalZigBee concentrator to act as master while communicating with end nodesthat are deployed to the user's appliances. The ZigBee concentrator isfurther linked to a local area network (“LAN”) router (e.g., an IEEE802.11 wireless LAN (“Wi-Fi”) network router) to communicate with aremote user through a cloud application (e.g., via a smartphone). Theend nodes cannot through ZigBee directly link to a LAN present at theuser location. ZigBee systems require the user to have an extra ZigBeecommunication device placed beside already existing wireless switch orWi-Fi router in same premises as the user's IR-enabled appliances. Therequirement of an additional concentrator has been a major hurdle in thesuccess of such devices.

Current smart home control systems that allow users to control theirappliances remotely (e.g., turn the appliance ON/OFF using a softwareapplication installed on a mobile device) suffer from a lot of drawback.Current smart home control systems don't measure and report energyconsumption, and do not calculate estimated cost of energy consumed forconsumers to see before receiving their utility bills. Current systemsdo not give consumers insight or intelligent analytics into their energyspending habits on a day-to-day basis, or any time the consumer wants tosee details about their energy usage/estimated costs. Current smart homesystems do not break down energy consumption on anappliance-by-appliance basis, day-by-day, etc. Current smart homecontrol systems do not allow consumers to define criteria or parametersto force the smart home control system to intelligently executefunctions to save energy. Example of such functions include theautomatic deactivation or alteration of the operation of an appliance(e.g. light bulb, air conditioner, TV, refrigerator, swimming poolheater, dishwasher, dryer, washing machine, etc.) in response to anenergy consumption threshold being exceeded.

What is desirable is a smart home control system that solves all of theabove issues that existing smart home control systems have notaddressed.

SUMMARY

The invention presented here comprises of various methods, smartlyintegrated subsystems, sensors and algorithms as per one or more of thepresented embodiments to provide users a location independent controlover their appliances and show their real time energy usage. The subjectinnovation eliminates the need of any additional requirement ofspecialized home automation control hub or protocol conversion device byusing the existing Wi-Fi hub already deployed at user location to givelocation independent control to the user over their appliances. Thedescribed smart AC controller (also known as smart thermostat) can bemodified to work with specific appliances by coupling it to theappliance or embedding/integrating it into the appliance. The smart ACcontroller offers the interoperability features thus making it possibleto associate it with one appliance and later disassociate from the sameand associate it with another appliance.

Presented are the methods, algorithms, subsystems of the smart ACcontroller along with the data capture and storage applications foreffective user analytics to help them smartly manage and control theirappliances irrespective of their location. The cloud-enabled smart ACcontroller aims at providing users with control over their appliancesand show real time energy consumption of each appliance to the userirrespective of user location and brand or manufacturer of theappliance.

The operation of some appliances can be conditional and based onreported energy consumption from multiple other appliances. For example,the described system can turn on an air conditioner in the guest room ifthe energy consumption threshold has not exceeded x kWh (kilowatt hour)or the total cost of energy consumption has not exceed x $ amount. Thethreshold can be set by the user. For example, the user can set thethreshold in spending dollars and the described smart system will managethe operation of the appliances or selected set of appliances (asdefined by the user), and the energy consumption accordingly.

The described system uses intelligent algorithms to measure energyconsumption, calculate estimated cost, and makes decisions on operationof some or all available appliances to save energy. Since electricitycosts (e.g. S/kWh) vary between countries, states, cities, counties, andutility providers, the described energy management system uses locationto calculate costs, determine the utility provider to thereforedetermine cost per kWh. The described system also uses the operationtimestamps of the various appliances to measure energy consumption costssince most providers operate on a tier-based pricing model. For example,Utility provider A might charge more per kWh at certain times during theday. Taking this into account, the described system will prioritize theoperation of some appliances over other appliances. For example, theswimming pool heater takes less priority over air conditioner, and therefrigerator takes priority over both, i.e., the swimming pool heaterand the air conditioner.

The smart AC controller has an onboard Wi-Fi module as its communicationsubsystem. The Wi-Fi module with implemented programs supports bothDirect and client mode operations and choice is made by the devicedepending upon the requirement of operation and power metric indicators.Smart AC controller has a microcontroller based processing and decisionmaking engine. The programmatic and algorithmic flows are implemented inthe onboard memory and are updated by the cloud application platform asrequired. These programmatic and algorithmic flows with the help ofonboard rules engine enable the smart AC controller for machine learningand taking intelligent decisions as per user habits for energy savings.The device has onboard power management unit. The communicationmechanisms, intelligent rules engine, algorithmic and programmatic flowsoffer a reliable solution for the user.

In some of the embodiments the smart AC controller is enabled forintelligent decision making through implemented algorithmic flows andoptimized user analytics for energy efficient use of appliance by theuser thus contributing to energy conservation. The overall systemprovides control, monitoring and management with the provision ofscheduler and activity log database. The choices and multipleimplementation and operational embodiments are summarized in thesucceeding paragraphs.

In some of the embodiments the user can choose to deploy multiple smartAC controllers at the same location for multiple appliances i.e. onesmart AC controller per appliance for cloud-enabled control, monitoringand management of the appliances irrespective of user location.

In some of the embodiments there can be multiple users assigned to oneappliance thus leveraging cloud enabled control, monitoring andmanagement capabilities.

In some of the embodiments there can be multiple users assigned tomultiple smart AC controllers thus leveraging cloud enabled control,monitoring and management capabilities. Such implementation offers thefamily architecture of system usage and operation under variousembodiments.

In some of embodiments there can be one user assigned to multipleappliances through associated smart AC controllers that aregeographically apart. In some of the embodiments there can be multipleusers assigned to multiple appliances through associated smart ACcontrollers that are geographically apart. The presented system supportsseamless assignment of user(s) through interactive graphical userinterface and backend algorithmic and programmatic flows for effectiveremote monitoring, control and management of appliances throughassociated smart AC controllers. Smart AC controller enables users touse legacy remote controls if desired in parallel.

In some of the embodiments the steps for signup of the user forsmartphone application include choosing a unique email address,username, password and confirming the passwords through the graphicaluser interface. The provided data by the user is logged in the backendcloud platform database. The steps for signing in are providing theusername or selecting an already displayed username on the graphicaluser interface and entering the password.

The registration of smart AC controller 10 can be done through scanningthe QR code provided on the packaging or on the smart AC controlleritself and associating it with the desired appliance as per user'schoice. The same process is repeated for registration of multipledevices. This is just one convenient method for registering the smart ACcontroller. For example, the registration can be done manually by theuser by entering the smart AC controller ID. Another method forregistering the smart AC controller can occur upon powering up the smartAC controller, since it acts as an Access Point (AP) and broadcasts itsname. A user can directly connect to the smart AC controller byutilizing the app installed on their mobile device (e.g., smartphone) tocomplete the registration. Therefore, the user doesn't have to manuallyenter the ID associated with the smart AC controller or scan the QRcode.

The graphical user interface of the application offers to create a newfamily or join an existing family. The user has the option to link thesmart AC controller with their available Wi-Fi router at its location.The graphical user interface of the application offers the user toassign roles and rights for usage to various family members. The user(s)can set the schedulers, notifications and other functions as per desirethrough the graphical user interface of the application.

The smartphone application offers multiple graphical informationsubsystems to the user for analytics of the logged data about usage,status, and related vital information.

The smart AC controller is capable of Firmware Upgrade over the Air(FOTA). The new release of firmware is communicated to the smart ACcontroller over Wi-Fi connectivity.

In some of the application embodiments there can be single or multipleusers assigned to the multiple appliances through associated smart ACcontrollers. In some of the application embodiments user(s) commandsfrom local user(s) are communicated to the smart AC controller throughsmartphone of the local user and local Wi-Fi router at smart ACcontroller location. The smart AC controller sends the acknowledgementsignal back to the user smartphone through local Wi-Fi router. Inaddition, the data is sent to cloud platform database for activity logthrough local Wi-Fi router at its location.

In some of the application embodiments user(s) commands from localuser(s) are communicated to the smart AC controller through Wi-Fi moduleof the smartphone of local user at smart AC controller location. Thesmart AC controller takes appropriate actions and sends theacknowledgement signal back to the user smartphone through Wi-Ficommunication. The smartphone of local user established thecommunication link with cloud platform database for activity log throughpublic cellular telephone infrastructure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING(S)

FIG. 1 illustrates the block diagram of the Smart AC controller. Theonboard communication section, brightness control section, energymeasurement section, processing section, power management unit andstatus section are illustrated.

FIG. 2 is a high-level schematic diagram illustrating logicalrelationships among systems in some arrangements within which thetechnology can operate.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the system illustrating main subsystemsi.e. user, smartphone and cloud application platform and a plurality ofconnected smart AC controllers presented as invention here.

FIG. 4 is a high-level schematic diagram illustrating embodiments inwhich the technology can control appliances at multiple properties.

FIG. 5 is a high-level schematic diagram where a user is capable ofcommunicating, controlling, monitoring and managing multiple appliancesdirectly through smartphone and smart AC controllers.

FIG. 6 a high-level schematic diagram where multiple users are capableof communicating, controlling, monitoring and managing multipleappliance directly through smartphones and associated smart ACcontrollers thus illustrating a concept of family or group.

FIGS. 7A-7H are high-level schematic diagrams illustrating communicationarrangements through which local and/or remote users can controlappliances in various embodiments of the technology

FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating the command operation section inaccordance with some embodiments of the technology.

FIG. 9 illustrates the onboard programmatic and algorithmic flows of thesmart AC controller.

FIG. 10 illustrates the onboard programmatic and algorithmic flows ofthe smart AC controller at power up.

FIG. 11 illustrates the onboard choice and selection of communicationsubsystems available on the smart AC controller.

FIG. 12 illustrates the signup and startup screens of the smartphoneapplication to provide seamless graphical user interface to the user.

FIG. 13 illustrates the screens of smartphone applications used toregister the smart AC controllers and associating these with appropriateappliance(s).

FIG. 14 illustrates the creation, defining and joining functions offamily/group of users through smartphone application.

FIG. 15 illustrates the smart AC controller setup screens of smartphoneapplication and linking the smart AC controller(s) with available Wi-Firouter(s) at the user location.

FIG. 16 illustrates the main screen and the drop down options ofsmartphone application including reports, notifications, family/group,appliances and settings.

FIG. 17 illustrates the screens of smartphone application supportingfamily/group features. The association of one or multiple appliance toone or multiple members can be configured through these screens of theapplication.

FIG. 18 illustrates the screens of smartphone application showing energyusage information to the user of the appliance. The graphicalpresentation of information is also highlighted.

FIG. 19 illustrates the screens of smartphone application showingparameter based energy usage information to the user of the appliances.The graphical presentation of information is also highlighted.

FIG. 20 illustrates the screens of smartphone application offeringenergy usage control capability to the user for each appliance. Thisfeature of the application plays a vital role in energy saving andproviding energy efficiency to the user.

FIG. 21 illustrates the reports and graphical presentation of useranalytics for user information.

FIG. 22A-22B illustrates the smartphone application screens forscheduler and timer automation configuration for one or multiple smartAC controller(s) by the user(s).

FIG. 23 is a display diagram illustrating a timeline screen inaccordance with some embodiments of the technology.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)

The following description is intended to convey an understanding of theinvention by providing a number of specific embodiments. It isunderstood, however, that the invention is not limited to theseexemplary embodiments and details.

FIG. 1 illustrates components of the smart AC controller 10 in someembodiments. The illustrated components include an onboard communicationsection 110, sensor section 120, processing section 130, energymeasurement section 140, power section 160, and status section 170. Inthe illustrated embodiment, the communication section 100 has twoonboard communication subsystems: a Wi-Fi module 11 and an IRtransceiver 112. The smart AC controller 10 can function on Wi-Finetworks that operate on standard frequencies (2.4 GHz or 5 GHz) to sendand receive data. Wi-Fi module 111 with implemented programs supportsboth direct and client mode operations. In some embodiments, the deviceselects the Wi-Fi operating mode depending upon, e.g., the requirementof operation and power metric indicators. The IR transceiver 112 hasonboard implementation of IR modulators and demodulators fortransmission and reception of data. In some embodiments, smart ACcontroller 10 includes a plurality of IR transceiver elements, such asIR emitters arranged on each face of a device to ensure omnidirectionalcommunication coverage with local appliances. Smart AC controller 10 iscapable of communication through onboard IR transceiver subsystem 112with IR-enabled electric appliances such as television sets, home stereosystems, thermostats, wall air conditioners, central air conditioners,curtains, garage doors, lights, locks, etc. Smart AC controller 10 can,in short, control any IR-enabled electric appliance, as the quotedexamples are illustrative and not exhaustive. The IR transceiver 112 ofsmart AC controller 10 allows for parallel operation of legacy remotecontrol devices of appliances.

The onboard sensor section 120 has three onboard sensors: a temperaturesensor 121, a humidity sensor 122, and an ambient sensor 123. Thetemperature, humidity and ambient light sensors 121-123 enable smartadapter 10 to monitor user needs, lifestyle and habits, allowingintelligent operation to optimize and best use the IR based devices. Theon onboard sensor section can be further modified to include additionalsensors. The role of the sensor section is to measure surroundingconditions in real time. The data is sent back to cloud platform 50 forstorage, analysis and statistics. The same data is used by smart ACcontroller 10 and onboard intelligent algorithms in conjunction withuser controls data to learn about usage styles, usage behavior andimplementation of smart control features in the smart AC controller.Initially the smart AC controller operates as per the user instructionswithout taking any automated decisions and enters the learning mode.With the increased data in the database and having learnt about userlifestyle and usage behavior it offers the user to enable smart control.If a user enables the smart control, then smart AC controller 10 takesintelligent decisions to offer optimized convenience and control to theuser without any user hassle.

In the illustrated embodiment, the processing section 130 has an onboardmicrocontroller unit 131, e.g., with on-chip flash and random accessmemory. The microcontroller unit 131 has onboard communicationinterfaces including, for example, serial communication, a serialperipheral interface, and an Inter-Integrated Circuit (“I2C”) bus forcommunication with the onboard subsystems. The smart AC controller 10has onboard general purpose input/output (“I/Os”) and automatic datacapture (“ADC”) for data capture, generating triggers and commandsaccording to loaded program instructions. The microcontroller includes aprocessing and decision making engine. The programmatic and algorithmicflows are implemented in the onboard memory and are updated by the cloudapplication platform as required. For example, power metric calculationsare part of the onboard algorithms which help the smart AC controller 10save power during its operations. The programmatic and algorithmic flowswith the help of the sensor section 110 and onboard rules engine enablethe smart AC controller 10 to perform machine learning and to takeintelligent decisions based on user habits. Energy measurement section140 or circuitry is responsible for measuring the real time energyconsumption of the appliance device coupled to smart AC controller 10.For example, the energy measurement section can include existing singlechip solutions to measure active energy (kWh).

The onboard status section 170 provides visual status display aboutvarious modes, conditions and states of smart AC controller 10. In someembodiments, red, blue, green and yellow LEDs are used. These canindicate various statuses regarding data transfer, cloud connection,mobile application connection, etc. In some embodiments a combination oftwo or more LEDs turned on simultaneously indicates system status foruser information. In some embodiments, the smart AC controller 10includes a display screen (e.g. LCD) that displays operational andstatus information.

In some embodiments, data in transit between the microcontroller andWi-Fi module 111 is secured by symmetric encryption such as a blockcipher, e.g., AES-128, AES-192, or AES-256, and a one way hashingalgorithm such as SHA1. AES block ciphers encrypt and decrypt data inblocks of 128 bits using cryptographic keys of 128-, 192- and 256-bits,respectively. Two-level encryption using AES and SHA1 for data intransit makes it difficult for an attacker to decrypt communicationwithin the smart AC controller 10 between the microcontroller 131 andthe Wi-Fi module 111.

FIG. 2 is a high-level schematic diagram illustrating logicalrelationships among systems in some arrangements within which thetechnology can operate. FIG. 2 illustrates overall system components insome embodiments including smart AC controller 10; a cloud platform 50,e.g., including a database and application; a locally deployed Wi-Firouter 100; and a mobile or web application (e.g., on user electronicdevices such as mobile device 60, tablets, laptops, etc.).

In various embodiments, the cloud platform 50 provides cloud storage(e.g., cache) and database services. The cloud platform 50 acts as abridge between hardware and/or software of smart AC controller 10,mobile devices 60, and web applications 61. For example, the cloudplatform 50 provides utilities for mobile applications to communicatewith a database server through predefined application programminginterfaces (“APIs”). The cloud platform 50 service use APIs to storesmart AC controller 10 data on a cloud database, so that the data issecure and accessible by the user anywhere. The cloud platform 50provides services for encryption and decryption of commands and data,maintaining privacy of the user. The cloud platform 50 maintainsinformation about smart AC controller 10 status and provides servicesfor scheduling, statistics, and triggers for firmware over-the-air(“FOTA”) updates to smart AC controller 10.

The IR codes of plurality of appliances 20 are available in the cloudplatform 50. Smart AC controller 10 is initialized through an onboardprogram of the microcontroller after it is powered up. In someembodiments, the device 10 checks for previous association with anappliance 20. In case no previously associated appliance is found (or,e.g., if new codes are available), the device 10 connects to the cloudapplication platform 50 to download the IR codes corresponding to itsassociated appliance, or any other (or all available appliances). Insome embodiments these codes are automatically loaded to the device 10or to the user smartphone application 61 or both. In some embodiments,the device 10 can record and store IR remote codes transmitted by anappliance remote control, to operate the appliance based on the recordedIR codes.

User actions are recorded and stored in the cloud application platform50. For example, in various embodiments of the technology, an activitylog is stored in the central database of cloud application platform 50and acknowledgments and/or notifications are sent to one or more usersthrough smartphone 60 mobile or web application 61.

The cloud platform 50 and mobile or web application 61 manage dataincluding data at rest, referring to inactive data that is storedphysically in any digital form (e.g. databases, data warehouses etc.),and data in transit, referring to information that flows over a publicor untrusted network such as the Internet and data that flows in theconfines of a private network such as a corporate or enterprise LocalArea Network (LAN). In various embodiments, the cloud platform 50 andmobile or web application 61 include security measures such as storingall data in secure data centers with a trusted service provider, usingintrusion detection and intrusion prevention systems, and usingdistributed computing technology to improve efficiency, reliability, andresilience against denial of service attacks. In addition, thetechnology includes redundant backup servers and failover IP addressfunctionality so that devices 10 can connect to the cloud platform 50even when a cloud platform 50 server is down, e.g., for maintenance. Theuser actions from the mobile software application are either sentdirectly from the user app to smart AC controller 10 (whenever the useris in the same location as smart AC controller 10 is e.g. home—in thiscase, actions are performed and later app updates the database at cloudto keep the record) or when a user is outside, the app sends all actionsto cloud and cloud sends the actions to the smart AC controller and getsan acknowledgement of action performed from the smart AC controller.Therefore; a complete history of actions is kept on the cloud and thisdata is used to learn about user behaviors and later make suggestionsfor automated actions for energy efficiency to the user. The data isalso used to show the user a history or timeline of their activities,where they can see the full audit trail of their usage. The data is alsoused to generate statistical graphs to the user about their usagestyles.

Referring to FIG. 2, smart AC controller 10 is connected to cloudplatform 50 through Wi-Fi router 100 in client mode. The activity log isstored in the central database of cloud platform 50 andacknowledgements/notifications are sent to the user(s) throughsmartphone(s) 60. User actions are stored in the cloud platform 60. Thesmart AC controller 10 is initialized through onboard program of themicrocontroller after it is powered up.

When the smart AC controller connects to the Server via TCP sockets ithas to inform the cloud about its unique ID Address which is added tothe Server's current connections list and is used for further handlingthe protocols and data for the device. The server checks if the uniqueID Address is valid or not and responds with a message accordingly. Ifthe device is not verified, the server closes the connection.

Once the smart AC controller is connected and listed in the currentdevices list it starts sending heartbeats after automatically adjustedintervals. The interval is adjusted intelligently and dynamically tobalance the load on server side. The heartbeat fulfills multiplepurposes. It helps in detecting if smart AC controller 10 is online oroffline. The heartbeat also contains useful information about smart ACcontroller 10 such as information regarding schedule timestamps. It hasother required information that is used for smart learning algorithms.The Cloud on the other hand keeps a record of the information in theheartbeat and after processing and storing information it sends anacknowledgement to the smart AC controller with a data packet havinguseful information for the smart switch. The smart AC controller statusis set to offline if heartbeat is not received within specified timeinterval. These intervals are dynamic and depend on various parametersincluding current network situation, device health history and otherrelevant data.

Actions can be performed either locally or remotely from any location.If the smart AC controller is connected to the same Wi-Fi router ornetwork as the mobile device on which the mobile app is executing, theactions are performed locally. In case the smart AC controller andmobile device are not connected to the same Wi-Fi router or network, theactions are performed remotely via the Cloud.

In Local action protocol the action information are communicateddirected to the smart AC controller via the mobile device/mobile app,then the smart AC controller perform the action on the appliance andsends an acknowledgement to let the user know when the action isperformed. The mobile application then informs the cloud service that alocal action was performed.

In Remote action protocol the mobile device/mobile app send actioninformation to the cloud. A cloud service(s) process the information andsends it to the smart AC controller which then performs the action onthe appliance and sends an acknowledgement to the cloud. The cloud setsthe status of the action as completely performed and sends a successnotification to the mobile application.

Smart AC controller 10 can be controlled in different modes. In a Wi-FiDirect mode, the smart AC controller 10 can be controlled directly froma Wi-Fi enabled mobile device without the need of a home Wi-Fi router.This is a built-in functionality in the Smart AC controller 10. Allcommands executed are locally saved in the mobile app database and assoon as it is linked to the internet, the data is transferred to thecloud to keep the database updated for optimized statistics. A secondmode of operation is called “home mode”. When the user mobile device isconnected to the home Wi-Fi Router, the same router on which the SmartAC controller is connected to, the appliance can be controlled withoutthe need of Internet accessibility. Data on executed commands arelocally saved in the mobile app database and as soon as it is linked tothe Internet, the data is transferred to the cloud platform 50 to keepthe database updated for optimized statistics. A third mode of operationis called “Cloud Mode”. In order to control Smart AC controller 10 overthe Internet, Smart AC controller 10 and mobile device must be connectedto the Internet.

FIG. 3 shows a plurality of smart AC controllers 10 coupled toappliances 21. The user 30 can control, monitor and manage theirappliances 21 through their smartphone(s) 60 and smart AC controllers 10irrespective of user 30 location. The smart AC controller controlsassociated appliances through onboard subsystems as depicted in FIG. 1.The acknowledgements and notifications are sent to user 30 throughsmartphone and smartphone application 60 and activity log is stored incloud platform application database 50.

FIG. 4 is a high-level schematic diagram illustrating embodiments inwhich the technology can control appliances at multiple properties. FIG.4 shows application of the technology at various buildings, e.g.,residential, office, vacation property, etc. The technology allows theuser to deploy systems under various embodiments to control, monitor,and manage their appliances at one or plurality of buildings. Smart ACcontrollers 10 can be deployed at multiple locations and user(s) cancontrol the associated appliances through a mobile or web interface 61irrespective of their location(s). In some embodiments the user canchoose to deploy multiple smart AC controllers 10 at the same locationfor multiple appliances 21, e.g., one smart AC controller 10 perappliance 21 for cloud enabled control, monitoring and management ofappliance 21 irrespective of user location.

Referring to FIG. 5, it shows one of the deployment embodiments of thesystem. It is a schematic diagram where a user 30 is capable ofcommunicating, controlling, monitoring and managing multiple appliances21 coupled to smart AC controllers through software applicationinstalled on smartphone 60.

FIG. 6 is a high-level schematic diagram illustrating embodiments inwhich the technology enables multiple users to control multipleappliances. In some embodiments, multiple users 30 that belong to afamily or group 35—are capable of communicating, controlling, monitoringand managing multiple appliances 21 associated with multiple smart ACcontrollers 10 directly through smartphones 60. In some embodiments,multiple users 30 are assigned to one smart AC controller 10. In someembodiments there can be multiple users 30 assigned to multiple smart ACcontrollers 10. In some embodiments there can be one user 30 assigned tomultiple appliances 21 through associated smart AC controllers 10 thatare geographically apart. In some embodiments there can be multipleusers 30 assigned to multiple appliances 21 through associated smart ACcontroller 10 that are geographically apart. The presented technologysupports assignment of user(s) 30 through interactive graphical userinterface which is part of the software application 61 and backendalgorithmic and programmatic flows for effective remote monitoring,control and management of appliance 21 through associated devices 10.The technology thus leverages cloud-enabled 50 control, monitoring andmanagement capabilities to said users 30 for assigned appliances 21through the associated smart AC controllers 10. Such implementationoffers a family architecture of system usage and operation under variousembodiments.

FIGS. 7A-7H are high-level schematic diagrams illustrating communicationarrangements through which local and/or remote users can controlappliance(s) 21 or 22 associated with smart AC controller(s) 10 invarious embodiments of the technology. It should be noted that there isno intent to limit the disclosure to these arrangements; together withthe arrangements described below, various possible options,modifications, equivalents, and alternatives fall within the spirit andscope of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7A illustrates a possible data communication mechanism where aremote user 30 is able to control, monitor and manage IR enabledelectric appliances 21 and/or 22 through smartphone 60 and cloudapplication platform 50. User 30 controls appliance(s) through smartappliance 10. A command string issued from user 30 mobile device 60 iscommunicated to smart AC controller 10 through cloud applicationplatform 50 and local Wi-Fi router 100. The communication between device10 and Wi-Fi router 100 is based on local Wi-Fi connection at the smartAC controller location. The communication of command string from smartappliance 10 to associated appliance 21 and/or 22 is via the IRtransceiver within smart AC controller 10. The communication ofacknowledgement from smart AC controller 10 to the user smartphone 60 isthrough local Wi-Fi router 100 at smart AC controller 10 location andcloud application platform 50. The same communication mechanism is usedto log activity feed in the cloud application platform database 50.

FIG. 7B illustrates a possible data communication mechanism where aremote user 30 is able to control, monitor and manage IR enabledelectric appliances through smartphone 60 and cloud application platform50. Additionally the local user can control the same appliances by usingconventional remote controls or their smart phone(s).

FIG. 7C illustrates a possible data communication mechanism where alocal user 30 is able to control, monitor and manage IR enabled electricappliances through smartphone 60 and cloud application platform 50. User30 controls appliance 21 through associated smart AC controller 10. Thecommand string from the user through their smartphone and smart phoneapplication running on the use smart phone is communicated to smart ACcontroller 10 through local Wi-Fi router 100. The communication betweensmartphone application and the local W-Fi router 100 as well as betweenlocal Wi-Fi router 100 and smart AC controller 10 is via Wi-Fi. Thecommunication of command string from smart AC controller 10 toassociated appliance 21 is based on IR transceiver within the smart ACcontroller 10. The communication of acknowledgement from the smart ACcontroller 10 to the user smartphone application is through the localWi-Fi router 100. The same communication mechanism is used to logactivity feed in the cloud application platform database 50.

FIG. 7D illustrates a possible data communication mechanism where alocal user 30 is able to control, monitor and manage IR enabled electricappliances through smartphone 60 and cloud application platform 50. User30 controls appliance 21 through associated smart AC controller 10. Thecommand string from the user through their smartphone application iscommunicated to the smart AC controller 10 through smartphoneapplication, public cellular network infrastructure, cloud platform andlocal Wi-Fi router 100. The communication of acknowledgement from smartAC controller 10 to the user smartphone application is through the localWi-Fi router 100, cloud platform and public cellular networkinfrastructure.

FIG. 7E illustrates a possible data communication mechanism where alocal user 30 is able to control, monitor and manage IR enabled electricappliances through smartphone/smartphone application 60, local Wi-Firouter 100 and cloud application platform 50. The user 30 controlsappliance 21 through associated smart AC controller 10. The commandstring from user 30 through their smartphone 60 is communicated to thesmart AC controller 10 through direct Wi-Fi connection (Wi-Fi Direct).The communication of command string from smart AC controller 10 to theassociated appliance 21 is via IR transceiver within smart AC controller10. The communication of acknowledgement from smart AC controller 10 tothe user smartphone 60 is through direct Wi-Fi connectivity. Device 10uses local Wi-Fi router 100 to log activity feed in the cloudapplication platform database 50 through Wi-Fi connectivity.

FIG. 7F illustrates a possible data communication mechanism where alocal user 30 is able to control, monitor and manage IR enabled electricappliances through smartphone 60 and cloud application platform 50. Theuser controls appliance 21 through associated smart AC controller 10.The command string from the user through their smartphone iscommunicated to smart AC controller 10 through local Wi-Fi router 100.The communication between smartphone 60 and the local W-Fi router 100 aswell as between local Wi-Fi router 100 and smart AC controller 10 is viaWi-Fi. The communication of command string from smart AC controller 10to associated appliance 21 and/or 22 is via IR transceiver within smartAC controller 10. Additionally, a local user 2 can control the applianceby using a conventional remote control and the smart thermostat 10 logthe data back to cloud platform 50 using local Wi-Fi router 100. Thecommunication of acknowledgement from the smart AC controller 10 to usersmartphone 60 is through the local Wi-Fi router 100. The samecommunication mechanism is used to log activity feed in the cloudapplication platform database 50.

FIG. 7G illustrates a possible data communication mechanism where alocal user 30 is able to control, monitor and manage IR enabled electricappliances through smartphone 60, public cellular networkinfrastructure, cloud application platform 50 and local Wi-Fi router100. The user controls appliance 21 and/or 22 through associated smartAC controller 10, The command string from the user through theirsmartphone is communicated to smart AC controller 10 through publiccellular infrastructure, cloud platform and local Wi-Fi router 100. Thecommunication of command string from smart AC controller 10 toassociated appliance is via IR transceiver within the smart ACcontroller 10. Additionally, a local user 2 can control the appliance byusing a conventional remote control and the smart thermostat 10 log thedata back to cloud platform 50 using local Wi-Fi router 100.

FIG. 7H illustrates a possible data communication mechanism where alocal user 30 is able to control, monitor and manage IR enabled electricappliances through smartphone 60, public cellular network infrastructureand cloud application platform 50. The user controls appliance throughassociated smart AC controller 10. The command string from the userthrough their smartphone is communicated to smart AC controller 10through Wi-Fi direct connection between smartphone and smart ACcontroller 10. The communication of command string from smart ACcontroller 10 to the associated appliance is via IR transceiver withinthe smart AC controller 10.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating subsystems for incorporatinglegacy IR remote control systems in accordance with some embodiments ofthe technology. The illustrated subsystems include a command operationsection 810 including onboard command decryption 811 and commandprotocol conversion 812, and an interface for wireless communication.The illustrated subsystems enable conversion, processing, andtransmission of user-specific commands 801 to the user's appliance 20.The command operation section 810 of the remote control device performsrelated processing on the user-specific commands. The processingincludes command decryption 811 and command protocol conversion 812 tohardware friendly-binary codes. The processing section 810 is alsoresponsible for transmitting the hardware friendly binary codes touser's appliance through IR transceiver. Wireless communication sectionbuilds a communication bridge between mobile phone 61, cloud platform50, and the smart AC controller.

The IR transceiver subsystem within the smart AC controller enablesusers to use legacy remote controls if desired in parallel to the smartAC controller. The smart AC controller captures data of legacy remotecontrols and logs it on the cloud database 50 for effectivesynchronization of the subsystems and providing accurate analytics tothe users 30. In addition, the user is kept updated by synchronizingdata on smartphone application, web application and cloud database.

Referring to FIG. 9, it shows state diagram embodiment illustrating thecommunication routes and decision made by the smart AC controller inorder to pass instructions. Start state represents the power-onself-test (POST). If the smart AC controller is registered, associatedwith a user, family, SSID or a service, it calculates the power matricprobing all components and identifying system health. If the smart ACcontroller is unregistered, the state will switch to Wi-Fi Direct modeand search for Wi-Fi Direct clients. After getting and verifying Wi-Ficommunication credentials by successfully connecting to Wi-Fi Directchannel, the smart AC controller state will switch to Wi-Fi client modeand connects to home wireless router.

Referring to FIG. 10, it shows communication flowchart embodiment of thesmart AC controller to cloud service. Upon power up, the system searchesinternal NVRAM (nonvolatile random access memory) for system setting. Bydefault, these are empty. The settings include Wi-Fi home routerusername, password, power settings etc. When it fails to locate thesesettings, the smart AC controller switches Wi-Fi module to Wi-Fi directmode. The mobile application connects to Wi-Fi direct and queries forlisting available access points. The mobile application gets the nameand password from the user and saves to system. The smart AC controllerthen switches Wi-Fi module back to client mode and connects to the homeWi-Fi router from where the communication to cloud platform establishes.

FIG. 11 is a flow diagram illustrating the steps involved incommunication a command to the smart AC controller. The user device canissue commands to the smart AC controller via direct communication (e.g.Wi-Fi direct), via the home router, or via a cellular network thatcommunicates the commands to the smart electrical switch via the cloudplatform (e.g., user is remote from the location of the smart electricalswitch).

Referring to FIG. 12, it shows mobile application's startup screens ofsigning in of existing user and registration of new user. The sign inscreen accepts the inputs of existing username and password of aregistered user and displays “sign in”/“sign up” buttons. On the otherhand, sign up screen requires the inputs of username, email, passwordand password confirmation of a new user and displays a “register”button.

Referring to FIG. 13, it shows mobile application's device addingscreens. It offers an automatic QR code scanning option whichautomatically detects the smart AC controller I.D and stores it in cloudagainst specific user. During the registration phase, the customizedsoftware application running on the mobile device retrieves the locationof the mobile device and communicates it to the cloud platform where itis stored in one or more databases and become associated with the userprofile and smart AC controller. The cloud platform hosts a databasethat contains data about various utilities providers in differentlocations (countries, states, cities, counties) as well as correspondingelectricity rates (e.g., cost per kWh). This enables the customizedsoftware to calculate costs of energy consumed based on energyconsumption measurements and reporting from the smart AC controller. Thelocation of mobile device can be obtained in multiple ways. For example,the location of the mobile device can be based on the GPS coordinates ofthe device, or the location of the wireless Access Point the mobiledevice is connected to. There are many known ways for a mobile softwareapplication to obtain and report the location of the mobile device. Forexample, mobile applications designed to run on Apple iOS devices usethe Apple's Core Location framework to locate the current position ofthe device. The smart AC controller can be delinked from one locationand linked to another (in case the owner of the smart AC controllermoves to a different city or state). In some embodiments, the smart ACcontroller can report data to a remote server that can compute itslocation. Such data might be related to the access point that it isconnected to. Internal algorithms of the system ensure that smart ACcontroller 10 location is updated every time it is delinked fromexisting Wi-Fi router and linked to a new Wi-Fi router.

Referring to FIG. 14, it shows mobile application's family registrationoptions screens. A user has the option to create a new family group orjoin the existing as a new member. The new member can have access toexisting smart AC controller(s) associated with the family or can addnew ones.

Referring to FIG. 15, it shows mobile application's device Wi-Ficommunication setup screens. User can select available Wi-Fi accesspoints from a drop-down menu and enter the access point password inorder to establish communication through it. The Wi-Fi access pointinformation and password will be saved in mobile application and cloudplatform by selecting the save option.

Referring to FIG. 16, it shows an example of a smartphone applicationshowing family associated appliances and drop down options screens. Listof appliances associated with a specific family is shown. More than onefamily can be registered as well as more than one appliance can beassociated with each family. The options drop down menu gives useraccess to graphical reports, notifications, family information,associated appliance information, and settings screens.

FIG. 17 shows an example of a smartphone application's showingappliances associated with a family or group and member(s) associatedwith each family. List of appliances associated with a specific familyis shown. There can be more than one families registered and more thanone appliance associated with each family. Additionally, list ofappliances associated with each member is shown. There can be more thanone members registered in a family and more than one appliancesassociate with each member of the family.

FIG. 18 shows an example of a smart phone application showing appliancesassociated with a specific family or group along with graphical reportsfor specific appliances. List of appliances associated with a specificfamily is shown. There can be more than one family or group registeredand more than one appliance associated with each family. The graphicalreports related to an appliance can be, for e.g., statistical usage oractivity data in the form of graphs, charts and tables. In someembodiments, when single or multiple users assigned to multipleIR-enabled electric appliances through associated smart AC controllersare off premises, the remote monitoring, management, and control ofassigned appliances is offered to the user(s) remotely via the cloudthrough their smartphones.

FIG. 19 shows an example of a smartphone application showing energyusage information of energy consumption of each associated appliance tothe user. The graphical presentation of information is also highlighted.

FIG. 20 shows an example of a smartphone application showing parameterbased energy usage information of each appliance associated with thesmart thermostat to the user. The graphical presentation of informationis also highlighted.

Referring to FIG. 21, it shows mobile application's screens andfunctions available for energy usage control measures. User can makeenergy saving decisions and restrict energy usage of various appliancesassociated with smart AC controllers.

FIGS. 22A-22B are display diagrams illustrating appliance scheduling inaccordance with some embodiments of the technology. The technologyenables users to set schedules and automated timers for operating one ormultiple appliances automatically, such as to have a home at acomfortable temperature when the occupants return home, or to operatelights and other appliances to make the house appear occupied and deterburglars while the occupants are away.

FIG. 22A shows example mobile application automatic timed and scheduledoperation triggering screens. Scheduled automation screen 2210 shows theoptions of a particular device related to automatic triggering a numberof user-specific appliance settings over the days of a week. Thescheduler can be turned on or off in variable days of the week. Timerautomation screen 2220 shows the options of a particular user related toautomatically triggering a number of user-specific appliance settingsover all the associated user appliances. The timer can be turned on oroff for various appliances.

FIG. 22B illustrates another interface for scheduling for an airconditioner, enabling the user to set specific functions of the airconditioner to be performed over time. Various air conditioner functions(e.g., power on/off, temperature setting, mode, fan speed, etc.) can beperformed as scheduled events or on a repeating schedule, for example.

In various embodiments, the technology includes a “Schedule Protocol” bywhich schedules that are added by any user against any smart ACcontroller 10 are also sent to smart AC controller 10 via the cloudplatform 50. In some embodiments, the cloud platform 50 sends a fixednumber of schedules or schedule events to smart AC controller to beexecuted after processing along with data string and timestamp, andstores the remaining schedules or schedule events as a queue in itsdatabase. Smart AC controller 10 sends an acknowledgment for eachschedule information. When the schedule is executed, smart AC controller10 sends a schedule execute acknowledgement to the cloud platform 50along with the timestamp information of that schedule. The cloudplatform 50 marks that schedule as completed and then gets pendingschedules and sends them to smart AC controller 10.

FIG. 23 is a display diagram illustrating a timeline screen inaccordance with some embodiments of the technology. The illustratedtimeline screen 2300 enables a user to see all the actions performed andobserved through smart AC controller 10 for a controlled appliance 20such as an air conditioner, providing a complete audit trail. Startingat the bottom of the screen, the oldest item 2302 in the timeline 2300history is that user 30 John registered the smart AC controller 10, twodays ago. Item 2304 indicates that an infrared device such as the airconditioner's own remote control turned on the air conditioner. In someembodiments, the technology detects, captures, and reports infraredsignals received from legacy remote controls. In some embodiments, thetechnology is integrated into an appliance and captures informationabout external actions such as manual or infrared remote activationreceived by the appliance. In item 2306, the smart AC controller 10reports information about status of the smart AC controller or theappliance, noting that the smart AC controller was offline for about anhour the previous day. In item 2308, the timeline 2300 states that aschedule labeled “Morning” was executed ten minutes ago. And in item2310, the timeline 2300 records that user John changed the temperatureto 26 degrees Celsius. In some embodiments, the technology providesauditing functions based on observed timeline events, such as an alertthat a particular user activated an appliance outside normal hours, or anotification that temperatures in a room exceed a threshold.

There is a multitude of advantages of the presented invention arisingfrom the various features of the smart AC controller, its methods,subsystems, algorithms and associated applications. It is pertinent tonote that alternative embodiments of the present invention may not coverall of the associated features of the invention. People having ordinaryskills in the art may benefit and devise their own implementations ofthe smart AC controller, utilizing one or more of the features ofpresent invention which fall within the scope of the present inventionas defined by the appended claims.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that theabove-described technology may be straightforwardly adapted or extendedin various ways. For example, the technology may be implemented indevices of various sizes and forms, as standalone devices or integratedor retrofitted into appliances. While the foregoing description makesreference to particular embodiments, the scope of the invention isdefined solely by the claims that follow and the elements recitedtherein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A network-based remote control device forcontrolling and measuring energy consumption of at least one appliance,comprising: a control circuitry configured to be coupled to a powersource; the control circuitry comprising: a processing module configuredto process control commands received over a communication network; acommunication module coupled to the processing unit for receiving saidcontrol commands; an infrared (“IR”) circuit assembly configured totransmit said processed control commands to the least one appliance andto receive control commands from an infrared (“IR”) remote controldevice; an environmental sensor assembly coupled to the processing unit;an energy measurement module configured to measure energy consumption ofthe appliance; and a housing containing the control circuitry.
 2. Theremote control device of claim 1, wherein the communication modulecomprises a Wi-Fi transceiver.
 3. The remote control device of claim 1wherein the infrared circuit assembly comprises a plurality of IRtransceivers oriented in different directions, such that a combinationof the plurality of IR transceivers are substantially omnidirectional.4. The remote control device of claim 1 wherein the IR transceiverassembly comprises an IR emitter and an IR receiver.
 5. The remotecontrol device of claim 1 wherein the environmental sensor assemblycomprises at least one of temperature, humidity, and proximity sensors.6. The remote control device of claim 1, further comprising at least oneof an LED status indicator, and a display for displaying operatingstatus of the remote control device.
 7. The remote control device ofclaim 1 wherein the memory is configured to store computer-executableinstructions configured to receive appliance control commands via theWi-Fi module, and to transmit IR signals to control operation of anappliance via the IR transmitter.
 8. The remote control device of claim1 wherein the device is (may be or can be) configured to control aplurality of appliances.
 9. The remote control device of claim 1 whereinthe memory is configured to store schedule information, and wherein thedevice is further configured to transmit IR signals to control operationof an appliance via the IR transceiver at scheduled times based on thestored schedule information.
 10. The remote control device of claim 1wherein the memory is configured to store information about eachoperation of the appliance and information about the status of thedevice.
 11. The remote control device of claim 1 wherein the device isconfigured to communicate with a remote server via the Wi-Fi module. 12.The remote control device of claim 1 wherein the device is configured toobtain, from the remote server, appliance IR control codes.
 13. Theremote control device of claim 1 wherein the device is configured totransmit, to the remote server, information about each operation of theappliance and information about the status of the device.
 14. The remotecontrol device of claim 1 wherein the device is configured to receive,from a user-operated remote control, IR signals to the appliance, andwherein the device is further configured to transmit, to the remoteserver, information about the received IR signals.
 15. A method in anetworked control system for remotely controlling an infrared (“IR”)enabled appliance, the method comprising: determining a list of onlineremote control devices associated with a user profile; displaying thelist of online remote control devices on a user communication device;receiving, from the user communication device, a command to operate aIR-enabled appliance associated with a selected one of the online remotecontrol devices; transmitting to the IR-enabled appliance, an IR code tooperate the IR-enabled appliance; and periodically measuring a energyconsumption of the IR-enabled appliance.
 16. The method of claim 15,further comprising: receiving, from the remote control device, anacknowledgment that the remote control device transmitted the IR code;and transmitting, to the user computing device, a message indicatingthat the remote control device transmitted the IR code.
 17. The methodof claim 15, further comprising: transmitting the energy consumptionmeasurements to a remote server for storing and analysis.
 18. The methodof claim 15, further comprising: automatically switching the IR-enableddevice to operate in an energy saving mode if cumulative energyconsumption measurements of other appliance exceed a predefinedthreshold.
 19. A remote control system for controlling at least oneinfrared (“IR”) enabled appliance, the system comprising: a firstapplication executable in at least one user computing device, the firstapplication configured to generate a user interface component forreceiving a user control command targeting the at least one appliance; aremote control device configured to transmit a signal to the at leastone IR-enabled appliance in response to the user control commandreceived from the first application, the remote control device furtherconfigured to transmit data to and receive data from at least a secondapplication executing on a server computing device, wherein thetransmitted data comprises energy consumption measurements of the atleast one infrared appliance, and the received data comprises IR codesassociated with a manufacturer and type of the IR-enabled appliance. 20.The remote control system of claim 19, wherein the at least oneIR-enabled appliance is selected from a group consisting of an airconditioner, a set top box, and a television.